Georgia Sports CommunicationsBetween studying for finals, playing tug-of-war with new puppy Colbie and gearing up for senior weekend, it's been a busy week for Ashley Pauly.What a weekend in Baton Rouge. Let's just say that after that series, we can all cross a few things off our bucket lists. We played the longest game in UGA history at 15 innings, got to see Mike the Tiger and had some of the best Cajun food ever!
In that 15-inning game, a 1-0 win, I was extremely proud of our team and our pitcher, Erin Arevalo. She went the entire way and kept us in the game with her one-hit performance. Our defense was solid and offensively we kept battling until the very end. The atmosphere was awesome to play in, and the outcome was a great win against a very competitive LSU team.
To top the weekend off, we met former Ole Miss football coach Ed Orgeron at the airport (we all know him from the movie "The Blind Side'' as Michael Oher's college coach), and he was kind enough to let us take a picture with him. I also spotted Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan but didn't get a chance to snap a photo, so naturally I took to Twitter and tweeted him. Feel free to respond any time, Matt, it's @apauly10. J In the words of teammate Paige Wilson, our weekend was nothing short of "Gucci!"
On a more serious note, it's that time of year again -- time to hit the books hard and finish the semester. Many of us make study schedules to help reduce the stress. Just the other day, a few teammates came over for dinner, and afterward, we all got some studying done. But the best part about finals week isn't that summer is right around the corner, it's that only a few tests stand in the way of the start to postseason softball!
This week will be spent preparing for my tests while getting in some batting practice and workouts with the team. There's nothing like a hitting session with my teammates to help clear my mind when I'm feeling stressed with school. Not to mention, my roommates and I have a new addition to our family -- a precious but extremely energetic yellow Lab puppy named Colbie. When we aren't studying or trying to sneak in a quick power nap, we are playing tug-of-war with her. She is a handful but can put a smile on anyone's face!
Before we start talking about the postseason, we have a very exciting series this weekend against Arkansas. It's senior weekend in Athens, and I can't wait to celebrate with my fellow senior class members and our families. Where has the time gone? It seems like yesterday Brittney Hubbard and I were nervously planning our bus routes to get to class during freshman year. And yes, we were those kids that took a bus map everywhere for fear of getting lost!
Looking back, our actions may have been a bit drastic, but they make for a great story. I have been so blessed to be a part of this Georgia program, and the friendships I have made will last a lifetime. It will be awesome to play in front of our home crowd one last time in what will be an exciting SEC matchup.
That about sums it up for this week in Athens. I hope you enjoyed my first blog, and I can't wait to write again next week. For those taking finals, good luck, and GO DAWGS!!!